1 WTC courting Chinese interest for office leases

NEW YORK - NEW YORK (AP) - The quest for tenants to fill the floors at a World Trade Center skyscraper has gone global - all the way to China.

A private real estate developer connected to the project at ground zero is heading to a conference of business leaders in China this weekend. Douglas Durst of the Durst Organization says 1 World Trade Center has generated "tremendous interest" among Chinese companies that are considering opening international offices.

The building was formerly known as the Freedom Tower. When it's completed, it will be the tallest building in the country, with an antenna bringing it to 1,776 feet.

The first completed deal for a tenant in the tower has been with a Chinese real estate company. Vantone Industrial signed a lease in 2009 for about 200,000 square feet.